It's a commitment I've made to raise my kids in church
whether they like it or not. And I'm afraid what they'll remember the
most is the game of musical pew seats each week as I try to get the
right brother combination to equal quiet. And my fingernails digging into their arms. Today it was Kid 2. He'll gladly show you the marks.

But
I know at one point both Kids 1 and 2 felt it too. They heard
God's voice in their heads and hearts and made the decision to accept
Jesus as their personal savior. But the noise of the world drowns out
the quiet voice of God in a child's ear. And they're just back to being
normal kids. No obvious signs of change in heart or attitude or
behavior. And certainly no halo or special glow. But that's why I'm not
God - and He is. He can see the things going on that I can't.

Kid 3 has struggled a lot lately with the voice of others - his brothers, his
teachers, and other kids at school. Third grade was rough for him and it broke his heart on more than one occasion. But yesterday after brothers were picking on him again for his current dream
of baseball greatness... I told him that brothers don't hold his plan.
God does. Just to wait for it. And I hope that each Sunday as we sit
in worship and wait for it.... whatever it is for the day... that one
day it speaks loudly again to my older two and one day whispers a sweet
word of encouragement and love and confidence to my little guy. I'm waiting for it.